Church and Monastery of St Augustine, Goa

The Church and Monastery of St. Augustine is one of Goa’s most well known landmarks. The construction of this church began in the year 1597 under the guidance of an unknown architect, who was presumed by many to be Italian and then continued on till the year 1602. One of the most prominent features of this church was its facade. At a height of 46 meters, one major component of this façade was the belfry. Since 1842, the church started to fall into a state of neglect and disrepair, which ultimately lead to the collapse of the top half of the Tower of St. Augustine in the year 1931. The bell of this belfry was shifted to the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception located in Panaji. Tourists can still visit the remains of this tower easily with the number of government run and private sightseeing tour operators located in Goa.